St. George and St. Michael Volume II eBook

The moment Richard was clear of the portcullis, he
set off at a sharp trot for the brick gate, and had
almost reached it when he became aware that he was
pursued. He had heard the voice of Dorothy as
he rode out, and knew to whom he owed it. But
yet there was a chance. Rousing the porter with
such a noisy reveillee as drowned in his sleepy ears
the cries of the warder and those that followed him,
he gave the watch-word, and the huge key was just turning
in the wards when the clang of the alarm-bell suddenly
racked the air. The porter stayed his hand, and
stood listening.

Ere he could finish the sentence, the butt of Richard’s
whip had laid him along the threshold of the gate.
Richard flung himself from his horse, and turned the
key. But his enemies were now close at hand—­Eccles
and the men of his guard. If the porter had but
fallen the other way! Ere he could drag aside
his senseless body and open the gate, they were upon
him with blows and curses. But the puritan’s
blood was up, and with the heavy handle of his whip
he had felled one and wounded another ere he was himself
stretched on the ground with a sword-cut in the head.

CHAPTER XXX.

Richardandthemarquis.

A very few strokes of the brazen-tongued clamourer
had been enough to wake the whole castle. Dorothy
flew back to her chamber, and hurrying on her clothes,
descended again to the court. It was already
in full commotion. The western gate stood open,
with the portcullis beyond it high in the wall, and
there she took her stand, waiting the return of Eccles
and his men.

Presently lord Charles came through the hall from
the stone court, and seeing the gate open, called
aloud in anger to know what it meant. Receiving
no reply, he ran with an oath to drop the portcullis.

‘Is there a mutiny amongst the rascals?’
he cried.

‘There is no cause for dread, my lord,’
said Dorothy from the shadow of the gateway.

‘How know you that, fair mistress?’ returned
lord Charles, who knew her voice. ’You
must not inspire us with too much of your spare courage.
That would be to make us fool-hardy.’

‘Indeed, there is nothing to fear, my lord,’
persisted Dorothy. ’The warder and his
men have but this moment rushed out after one on horseback,
whom they had let pass with too little question.
They are ten to one,’ added Dorothy with a shudder,
as the sounds of the fray came up from below.

‘If there is then no cause of fear, cousin,
why look you so pale?’ asked lord Charles, for
the gleam of a torch had fallen on Dorothy’s
face.